some bird conservation news from the American Bird Conservancy

Dr.
Michael Hutchins, an international authority on wildlife conservation,
management, and
policy who has authored over 220 scholarly and popular articles and
books on wildlife issues, has joined the staff of American Bird
Conservancy (ABC). He will oversee the organization’s
Bird-Smart
wind energy campaign.

“We are thrilled that Michael is joining our team and excited to have his considerable talents
focused on the challenges associated with making wind a Bird-Smart
energy source,” said Dr. George Fenwick, President of ABC.

Comment to Conserve Greater Sage-Grouse-A
national effort is underway to conserve the magnificent Greater
Sage-Grouse, known
for its spectacular mating dance. You can be part of this effort to
reverse declining grouse populations, while providing for sustainable
use of public lands and a legacy of protected landscapes.
Send a comment letter urging that BLM’s Northwest Colorado
plan adopt conservation measures—called the conservation alternative,
or "Alternative C"—to ensure sustainable management for the Greater
Sage-Grouse.
Please click on this link to send a comment letter:
http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/5400/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=15715

Cats Indoors
Action Alert: Sign On Letter to Protect Wildlife and Public Lands

Given
the proven degree of environmental harm and human health risks, federal
and state agencies responsible for managing wildlife and public lands
need to take action
to protect birds and other wildlife from cat predation. American Bird
Conservancy has drafted a letter to Secretary of the Interior Sally
Jewell asking the Department to develop a clear management policy to
protect wildlife and to address the impacts of feral
cat colonies on public lands. Eighty bird and habitat conservation
organizations have endorsed the letter thus far. Please take a look and
consider adding your organization to the list of endorsements.

Report from Gov't of Canada Echoes U.S. Finding: Outdoor Cats are Leading
Human-Caused Source of Bird Mortality

A
new
study
from the government of Canada that looked at more than 25 human-caused
sources of bird mortality has found that domestic cats, both feral and
owned, are the leading lethal threat to birds in the country. The study
found that the median estimate of cat-caused mortality—almost 200
million bird deaths per year—was about six times
greater than the next leading mortality estimate of about 32 million
attributed to car collisions. The third-leading cause was collisions
with buildings or homes, with a rate of about 22 million bird deaths per
year. For more see
http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/131001.html.

Los Angeles Zoo treats 21 California condors for lead poisoning

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- In the wild they are
tough, living up to 80 years and surviving primarily on animal carcass.
But these California condors
now need help.

"Some of them are upwards of 15, 16, 17 years
old, and we raised them way back then. To see that it's kind of
heartbreaking. They're [sic]
food is poisoned, so nothing can survive that," Los Angeles Zoo animal
keeper Michael Clark said.

A record 21 condors have been taken to the
L.A. Zoo for rehabilitation in a two-week period, caught by Fish and
Wildlife and testing positive
for lead poisoning. Field crews trap condors in the wild twice a year
to check their health and to put transmitters on them. Clark says he
expects more to come in.
See http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news%2Flocal%2Flos_angeles&id=9308716
for video.

Wisconsin's 2011 Blow-Down Area Provides Benefits for Imperiled Species

Not
far from the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area, a massive 2011 wind storm
struck and leveled trees for miles across northwestern
Wisconsin, causing a variety of widespread problems, which for some are
still an issue today. Yet out of the wind-strewn wreckage comes a happy
“re-start” for the tiny Golden-winged Warbler, one of the most
threatened, non-federally listed bird species in
eastern North America.

A
unique set of partners—the state of Wisconsin’s Department of Natural
Resources (DNR),
six county governments in the state, private landowners, and American
Bird Conservancy (ABC)—have united to take advantage of this opportunity
to create the required habitat for the Golden-winged Warbler. For more
see
http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/131030.html.

The
NMBCA outreach toolkit was developed by the NMBCA Communications Team
(ABC, Audubon, AFWA, Cornell, and FWS). It includes
key messages, statistics, graphics, and other resources for media or
partners who wish to communicate about the NMBCA. Please check it out at
http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NMBCA/outreach.shtm.

Training on State
Wildlife Action Plans Now Available Online

On June 4-6, 2013, National Wildlife Federation, Association of Fish
& Wildlife Agencies, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hosted
Connect, Collaborate, and Conserve In an Era of Changing Landscapes: An Interactive Training on State Wildlife Action Plans,
at the U.S. FWS's National Conservation Training Center in
Shepherdstown, WV. With federally mandated revisions to State Wildlife
Action Plans due in 2015, this training was meant to ensure that the
updated plans will be the best they can be. Each day focused on a broad
topic, covering landscape conservation, climate change, and building
public support.